Career and Education Opportunities for Personal Chefs in Gresham, Oregon

Personal chef career and educational opportunities abound in Gresham, Oregon. The national trend for personal chefs sees this job pool growing by about 4.3% over the next eight years. In general, personal chefs prepare meals in private homes.

The average wage in the general category of Cooking jobs is $12 per hour or $25,858 per year in Oregon, and an average of $12 per hour or $24,401 per year nationwide. Personal chefs work in a variety of jobs, including: culinary worker, private chef, and chef.

There are five schools within twenty-five miles of Gresham where you can study to be a personal chef, among forty-six schools of higher education total in the Gresham area. The most common level of education for personal chefs is a post-secondary certificate. It will take a short time to learn to be a personal chef if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Personal Chef

In general, personal chefs prepare meals in private homes.

Personal chefs peel and cook vegetables and meats, and bake breads and pastries. They also formulate menus in line with employers' needs and diet restrictions. Equally important, personal chefs have to specialize in preparing fancy dishes and/or food for special diets. They are often called upon to develop and explore new cuisines. They are expected to travel with employers to vacation homes to furnish meal preparation at those locations. Finally, personal chefs ready meals in private homes in line with employers' recipes or tastes, handling all meals for the family and possibly for other household staff.

Every day, personal chefs are expected to be able to control objects and devices with precise control. They need to listen to and understand others in meetings. It is also important that they move quickly in order to hold onto or control objects and devices.

It is important for personal chefs to stock, organize, and clean kitchens and cooking utensils. They are often called upon to direct the operation and organization of kitchens and all food-related efforts, including the presentation and serving of food. They also serve meals and snacks to employing families and their guests. They are sometimes expected to shop for or order food and kitchen supplies and equipment. Somewhat less frequently, personal chefs are also expected to formulate and ready food for parties and other social events.

And finally, they sometimes have to formulate menus in line with employers' needs and diet restrictions.

Like many other jobs, personal chefs must be able to work independently and make decisions on their own and have exceptional integrity.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Gresham include:

Chef. Direct the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts. May participate in cooking.

Fast Food Cook. Prepare and cook food in fast food restaurants with limited menus. Duties of the cooks are limited to preparation of a few basic items and normally involve operating large-volume single-purpose cooking equipment.

Institutional Cook. Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.

Restaurant Chef. Prepare, season, and cook soups, meats, or other foodstuffs in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu.

Short Order Cook. Prepare and cook to order a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time. May take orders from customers and serve patrons at counters or tables.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Personal Chef Training

Western Culinary Institute - Portland, OR

Western Culinary Institute, 600 SW 10th Avenue, Suite 400, Portland, OR 97205. Western Culinary Institute is a small school located in Portland, Oregon. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 2-year programs and has 806 students. Western Culinary Institute has a less than one year and an associate's degree program in Culinary Arts/Chef Training which graduated forty-eight and 300 students respectively in 2008.

Portland Community College - Portland, OR

Portland Community College, 12000 SW 49th Avenue, Portland, OR 97219-7132. Portland Community College is a large college located in Portland, Oregon. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 26,657 students. Portland Community College has a one to two year program in Food Preparation/Professional Cooking/Kitchen Assistant which graduated eight students in 2008.

Pioneer Pacific College - Wilsonville, OR

Pioneer Pacific College, 27501 SW Parkway Ave, Wilsonville, OR 97070-9296. Pioneer Pacific College is a small college located in Wilsonville, Oregon. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs and has 1,123 students. Pioneer Pacific College has a one to two year program in Culinary Arts/Chef Training which graduated 150 students in 2008.

International Air Academy Inc - Vancouver, WA

International Air Academy Inc, 2901 E Mill Plain Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98661. International Air Academy Inc is a small school located in Vancouver, Washington. It is a private for-profit school with primarily less-than 2-year programs. It has 296 students and an admission rate of 99%. International Air Academy Inc has a one to two year program in Culinary Arts/Chef Training which graduated sixteen students in 2008.

Clark College - Vancouver, WA

Clark College, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 98663-3598. Clark College is a large college located in Vancouver, Washington. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 10,378 students. Clark College has a less than one year and an associate's degree program in Culinary Arts/Chef Training which graduated eight and six students respectively in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Personal Certified Executive Chef:
A chef with advanced culinary skills and a minimum of six years of professional cooking experience with a minimum of two years as a personal chef.

Quality Coffee Certification Program:
The purpose of QCCP is to provide operators with sales tools and knowledge that will help them begin or enhance their own quality coffee program for their customers.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Gresham, Oregon

Gresham, Oregon photo by Amadeust

Gresham is situated in Multnomah County, Oregon. It has a population of over 101,221, which has grown by 12.2% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Gresham, 100, is near the national average. New single-family homes in Gresham cost $219,200 on average, which is above the state average. In 2008, one hundred three new homes were built in Gresham, down from three hundred five the previous year.

The top three industries for women in Gresham are health care, accommodation and food services, and educational services. For men, it is construction, accommodation and food services, and administrative and support and waste management services. The average travel time to work is about 27 minutes. More than 18.4% of Gresham residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 4.9%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Gresham is 10.8%, which is greater than Oregon's average of 10.6%.

The percentage of Gresham residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 45.7%, is less than the national average but more than the state average. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Charismatic Churches Independent.

Gresham is home to the Linnemann and the Ruby Junction Maintenance Facility-Portland Light Rail System as well as Kane City Park and Davis City Park. Visitors to Gresham can choose from Best Western, Gresham Suites and Shilo Inn-Gresham for temporary stays in the area.